As we reported last night here on "world news," the survival rate in the u.S. Plane crashes actually quite high. 95% of passengers survive, according to the ntsb. In fact, in this case, this crash landing in san francisco, that percentage, even higher. So, tonight, abc's david wright on the exit strategy, to make your flight as safe as possible. Reporter: This 727 is about to crash. On purpose. Seconds before impact -- jumpers away! Jumpers away! Reporter: The pilots abandon ship, leaving crash test dummies, cameras and computers to record what happens next. It's a science experiment conducted by the discovery channel, to measure the survivability of a plane crash. One conclusion? Bracing for impact, like they show on the safety card, actually works. I suspect this one may have a concussion, that one may have a broken leg. Reporter: Minimizing the chance you'll get knocked out, or worse. Another conclusion? Passengers at the rear of the aircraft are generally safer, especially in a nose dive crash like this one. The crash here at sfo was slightly unusual, in that the plane appeared to belly flop, tail first. The two passengers who died were seated near the back. Statistics show that the chance of dying on a scheduled flight here in the u.S. Is 1 in 14 million. Riding on a commercial airplane has the same amount of risk as riding on an escalator. Reporter: The danger, not just from the impact itself. Smoke and fire start fast, as we saw here in san francisco. Within 90 seconds. This simulator used to train flight crews shows how finding an exit can be tricky. But it is season to get out fast. If you can't instantly determine the source and severity of the smoke, you must consider it to be a threat to the airplane. Reporter: According to the national transportation safety board, 76% of passengers survive even the most serious crashes. The faa's advice? Sit within five rows of an exit. Make a mental note of the exits. Sit on the aisle. And don't sleep during takeoff and landing. Today, I asked the m.I.T. Safety expert if there's a particular seat he requests, he told me, pick an aisle seat close to the exit if possible. Close to the exit. David wright, thanks.

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